Post Office Rant!
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From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
Post Office Rant!
I buy my postage on-line for a package that weighs EXACTLY 3 pounds (I have a very accurate scale). I take it to the PO, the lady behind the counter says "wait a minute" as she weighs it on HER scale. She says it's "overweight," and that it will cost me an extra $2.00. I look at the display screen, and I THOUGHT it said "3.6 lbs." Now, I don't know how I could be that far off (over half a pound), but I don't argue and give her the extra amount.
I get to work and THEN I look at the receipt: 3 lbs, .6 oz. That's right: I had to pay an extra $2.00 for six-tenths of one ounce!! Okay, if I put 10 gallons of gas in my car, then I go over by six-tenths of an ounce, even the thieves at ExxonMobil don't charge me for a full gallon! I sent a complaint via the USPS website- we'll see if it does any good. Any postal workers here? How do they justify thievery like that? Man, I looked at that receipt and I....just....went....POSTAL!!
I get to work and THEN I look at the receipt: 3 lbs, .6 oz. That's right: I had to pay an extra $2.00 for six-tenths of one ounce!! Okay, if I put 10 gallons of gas in my car, then I go over by six-tenths of an ounce, even the thieves at ExxonMobil don't charge me for a full gallon! I sent a complaint via the USPS website- we'll see if it does any good. Any postal workers here? How do they justify thievery like that? Man, I looked at that receipt and I....just....went....POSTAL!!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Atlanta GA
The Post Office did you no wrong, they have to have cut off points and stick to them, and easy to read charts, otherwise they could not contain costs. If you have 500,000 items .06 over the limit that is an extra 30,000 pounds (15 tons) to ship.
How many letters and packages do you think a jumbo jet holds? The Post Office uses commercial carriers (air planes) that charge them by the pound. The Post Office has to recover what it spends.
I doubt the Post Office scale was wrong, so I suggest next time making sure your package weighes a bit under the limit. That is what I do to avoid surprises especially on international packages where the weight classes can differ by $20 increments for air shipments.
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How many letters and packages do you think a jumbo jet holds? The Post Office uses commercial carriers (air planes) that charge them by the pound. The Post Office has to recover what it spends.
I doubt the Post Office scale was wrong, so I suggest next time making sure your package weighes a bit under the limit. That is what I do to avoid surprises especially on international packages where the weight classes can differ by $20 increments for air shipments.
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,881
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From: North of Tulsa, Oklahoma
I've never thought of comparing the Post Office scales to other scales. The only way to be sure when comparing is using a scientific or professional equipment scale that gets calibrated on a regular basis. You did not mention what type of scale you have? Is it digital? If so, was it zeroed out before the package was weighed on it? Is it a weighted spring type, which is affected by temperature and humidity?
Now what you could do is start some real interesting investigative news reporting. Write to Dateline or 48hrs and tell them to do an undercover expose' and send several exactly weighed packages on scientific scales through several post offices across the country. Then we could get an accurate comparison between what some of the Post Office scales say versus what pre-calibrated unpartial research scale measurements say.
I'm sure the public would love to know the results on that report. 
As for me, I quit using the slow long waiting lines and go after hours to use the automated postage machine that weighs my package, tells me the cost, uses my credit card and prints a shipping label all in less time it takes to fill up a tank of gas.
Now what you could do is start some real interesting investigative news reporting. Write to Dateline or 48hrs and tell them to do an undercover expose' and send several exactly weighed packages on scientific scales through several post offices across the country. Then we could get an accurate comparison between what some of the Post Office scales say versus what pre-calibrated unpartial research scale measurements say.
I'm sure the public would love to know the results on that report. As for me, I quit using the slow long waiting lines and go after hours to use the automated postage machine that weighs my package, tells me the cost, uses my credit card and prints a shipping label all in less time it takes to fill up a tank of gas.
Posting Guru
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From: Seattle
Originally Posted by rebocardo
The Post Office did you no wrong, they have to have cut off points and stick to them, and easy to read charts, otherwise they could not contain costs.....
My next question would be, if Jeff or I brought in a package (after pre-paying for postage) that say weighed 2lbs., 6 oz., would we get our postage discounted and money back?
I hope so, otherwise this logic holds no water.
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From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
If I had known that it was .6 oz. over while I was standing at the counter, I would have asked the (bleepity-bleep) clerk for a scissors and some tape. I could have cut off a corner of the envelope, taped it up and handed it back to her, .6 of an ounce less. And I understand all about the "multiply the half an ounce by 600,000 packages, blah, blah, blah." But it DOES NOT cost them an extra $2 to ship six-tenths of an ounce. I'll pay more, but I shouldn't be robbed. This is REALLY beginning to tick me off...
Post Fiend
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From: Sarnia, Ontario, CANADA!
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Seattle
Originally Posted by 1956MarkII
....And I understand all about the "multiply the half an ounce by 600,000 packages, blah, blah, blah." But it DOES NOT cost them an extra $2 to ship six-tenths of an ounce....
Let's do the math BACKWARDS using the logic rebocardo alluded to:
600,000 packages @ .6oz over X $2.00 = $1,200,000
Hmmm.....Let me get out my violin.
Last edited by RocketScience; Jul 7, 2005 at 03:50 PM.
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